From Africville: The Paintings of Edith MacDonald-Brown (1886-1954)

Curated by David Woods
Organized by Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia and MSVU Art Gallery

This exhibition celebrates the artistic legacy of underrecognized African Nova Scotian painter Edith MacDonald-Brown. Curated by David Woods, the exhibition features nine of thirteen known oil paintings that highlight MacDonald-Brown’s mature talent at such a young age. For many years, Woods has dedicated significant efforts to uncovering MacDonald-Brown’s oeuvre and has collaborated with her descendants and MSVU Art Gallery to ensure the preservation of her art. The conservation efforts, completed in the Fall of 2024, have restored these works for future generations.

This exhibition honours MacDonald-Brown’s talent and contributes to the broader narrative of African Nova Scotian artistry. Explore her remarkable work and the rich cultural heritage she represents in Canadian art history.

Opening Reception

Please join us on February 15^th at 1:00 – 3:00 pm to celebrate the life and work of Edith MacDonald-Brown. David Woods will give an informal presentation about Edith MacDonald-Brown’s work following opening remarks at 1:45pm. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome to attend! Please get in touch with art.gallery@msvu.ca by February 5th with any access needs, requests, or inquiries.

About the Artist

Edith Hester MacDonald-Brown (1886-1954) is the granddaughter of William Brown Sr., one of the original deed holders for lands in Africville, Nova Scotia. Born in Africville, she moved to Montreal in 1898, where she took painting lessons, according to members of her family. She showed an exceptional talent at a young age. In 1914 she married William Henry Brown, after relocating back to the Brown family homestead. Despite her talent she did not pursue a career as an artist or exhibit publicly, sharing her works only with her family. The few surviving paintings by MacDonald-Brown count among the earliest examples of fine art produced by an African Canadian woman in Canada.

About the Curator

David Woods is a self-taught artist, curator, playwright and poet from Dartmouth NS who has been a forefront of the Black Nova Scotian arts scene for over four decades. He is a founding member of several Black arts organizations including Black Artists Network (the largest Black arts group in the province), the Cultural Awareness Youth Group of Nova Scotia and Voices Black Theatre.  He initiated important cultural events and programs in the province including the annual African Heritage Month celebration, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Celebration and The Preston Cultural Festival. In 1998, Woods co-curated In This Place– the first ever exhibition of Black Nova Scotian art with Dr. Harold Pearse. He has also curated several exhibitions of paintings and quilts that have toured art galleries across Canada exhibitions including The Vancouver East Cultural Centre, Vancouver; Museum of Textile, Toronto; UNB Arts Centre, Fredericton; and The Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown. Besides this current Africville connected exhibition, Woods also curated Incantation– the first exhibition of Africville art for the 2007 Africville 25^TH Anniversary Reunion Festival, Seaview Park and written award winning plays, poetry on the on Africviile. In 1996, he contributed artwork for the CD jacket and spoken word sequences for Africville Suite– a Juno award winning jazz recording by Toronto jazz pianist and bandleader Joe Sealy.